Air brake



Oct. 22, 1940. F BARTA 2,218,866

AIR BRAKE Filed July 26. 1958 Inventor Patemedloct. 22, y1940 f NTED STATES PATENT OFFCE j 2,218,866'.' ,Y i I AIRBRAKE Franknarta Smithville, Texl Applicationiuly 26, 193e, seria1N0-221es My invention relates to improvements in air brake controls such as'are used for controlling railway trains.

The primary object of the invention is to provide air brake equipment for use more particularly on heavy trains to apply the brakes from the tail end of the ltrai-n forwardly, successively throughout the cars of the train so as to take out all slack'gradually prior'to stopping, and therel by obviate the usual well-*known slack actions and reactions occurring in trains, together with the consequent damage to train equipment, shipments, and discomfort to passengers.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing, and l Describing my invention 1n detail, with vref-` erence to the drawing by numerals, I designates` the usual brake control valve such as is located in the locomotive cab and having therein a service chamber, not shown, and 2 the usual 4brake pipe line from the valve I to the brakefcylinders 3 of different cars, not shown, and including the usual couplings Il between the cars. The numeral c' designates the yusual triple valves and 5 the reservoir associated with the brake cylinders 3. The numeral 5 designates an auxiliaryline leading from said service chamber of the valve Ito the rear of the train and including .couplings S be,- tween cars. The brake pipe line 2 and the aux- 40 iliary line 5 are connectedat each end or" each car by cross-over pipes 'I and the control valves 8 at the juncture of each pipe '5 with the auxiliary line 5. Each control valve 8 includes a core 9 adapted to be set by a handle IIJ into opening or 5 .closing positions, respectively. The core 9 of each valve 8 is ported, as at II, so that when it is set into opening position it directs, and flows the air from the brake valve I straight through the auxiliary line 5, but, when set to closing position it establishes communication between the auxiliary line 5 and the brake pipe line Zshunting the air from said line 5 to said line 2.

The brake control valve I is of the usual type used in present-day train control air brake systems and commonly designated as the automatic (c1. soa-4v) lbrake valve. Asis well 'known thisr valve 'I' is interp'osed in the` line of connection betweenthe. mainand pressure equaliz'ing reservoirs vandtl'ie Vbrake pipe line 2 and is set-table into five diITerv ent positions to effect variation in pressure inthe 515' brake pipe. line. commonly termed reductions. '-Ihese positions of said valve l! are termed lRelease,` Running Holdingjy Lap,' Serv-ice .and Emergency In the Release vposition of said valve I airflows directly from the main if() reservoir to the brake pipe line 2 to quickly charge thebrake system and release brakes `o`n`=leng trains.l In the l'tunning position a predet'er-A Y ,mined pressure reduction is maintained in the 'brake pipe line and system lower Ithan that -in fthe 15' main .reservoir to release thebrakes. kIn-'fthe Holding position a reduction is maintained in thesystem to set the brakes on the locomotive and tender while releasing and recharging the train brakes, the same as in the case of the-Re- 20,;

lease position except that the locomotive and tender brakes are not released. In the ,Lap position a previous reduction in the brake pipe line and system is maintained, no variation being efiected. In the Service position air from line k25 v 2 and the equalizing reservoiris automatically, iiowed to atmosphere through said valve i to efrect slow reduction and set the brakes.` In the Emergency position 'air in the line 2 and equa1-.

' izing reservoir is vquickly flowed' directly to at- 3o mosphere to effect a heavy reduction and quickly setthe brakes. In the practice of my invention, the brake pipe line2 is connected to said brake valve -i for control by the Emergency setting of said valve only. The auxiliary line is connected 435 I to said valve I for control under all settings of the latter. Under ordinary condition, the last valve .core 9 at the tail end of the train is set to closing position and the remaining cores El to opening position thereby establishing a'circuit from 40 the brake valve I through said ypipe 5 to the last crossover pipe 'I `and said pipe 2 back to valve I. Under these conditions, the brake system is conditioned by setting the brake valve `to Runningnposition wherein, as will be understood, ra 45 predetermined pressure is maintained in both lines 2 Aand 5 to maintain the brakes in releasedf position, the air owing through the described circuit from brake valve I back to but not out of said valve. y 50 To apply brakes under ordinary conditions, the brake valve I is set to Service position thereby creating a pressure reduction in the line 5 and hence in the line 2 and when the reduction is suiicient, said brake valve Iis `set back to Lap 55.'

train has stopped. Obviously the air is flowed in this reduction to atmosphere from valve I, line 5, last valve core 9, last crossover 1, and line 2 in succession and in the order named. Ihus the brakes on the last car are set rst and those of the preceding cars successively frorn'front to rear. If the reduction thus rst effected is not heavy enough, a second reduction may be obtained by again setting the brake valve I to Service position until a desired second reduction is obtained at which point said valve I may be set back toy Lap position to maintain the second reduction in the lines until the train has stopped. ATo release the brakes, brake valve I, under ordinaryVY condition, is set to RunningA position to recharge the lines and system. Obviously, the brakes are released in the same order of succession as in setting. To quickly release the brakes, the brake valve I may be set to Release posi- .tion to quickly charge the brake system and release the brakes in the same order as will now be clear. In the Emergency setting of the brake valve I air is flowed direct to atmosphere through said valve from both lines 2 and 5 thus effecting a quick heavy reduction and hence a quick stop, the brakes being set from rear to front successively. The result following setting of the brake valve I to Holding position need not, it is thought, be entered into in view of the preceding description.

Therefore upon a first reduction, the brakes beginr to apply on the last car iirst and successively on the preceding cars, thus taking out the slack in the train successively from rear to front thereof so that when the head end is reached the slack is position to hold the reduction in the line until the all out. Upon a second reduction the brakes in the rear car begin to set harder holding the slack out so that no slack action or reaction occurs. Upon release of the brakes, those on the rear cars release iirst creating loose slack action or free wheeling which is very desirable.

My invention will, it is believed, be readily understood from the foregoing Without further eX- planation.

Manifestly, the invention as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim. y

What I claim is:

In an air brake system for the cars of a railway train, a brake control Valve for location at the front end of the train, a plurality of brake `cylinders for said cars, respectively, a triple valve and an air reservoir for each cylinder, a brake pipe line extending from said control valveY and connected to said triple valves from the front to the rear of the train successively to service said triple valves and cause application and release of the brakes, respectively, an auxiliary line extending from the control valve alongside the. brake pipe liney for charging and reducing said brake pipe line under control of said control valve, and valved crossover lines between said auxiliary and brake pipe lines at each end of each car for charging and reducing the brake line from` the rear .of any selected car whereby said brakes may be set and released in a train of a selected number of cars from the rear end of the train forwardly and successively throughout the train.

FRANK BARTA. 

